Thomas Forbes
Thomas Forbes is the current head-of-state (Staatskanzler or 'State Chancellor') of the Nazi State of Arminia. Formerly Royal Governor appointed by the Dual Monarchy of Trekylon-Inuyashia, Forbes declared the Royal Enclave on Octarius to be independent as a result of the Exodus of both parent countries from the Milky Way galaxy. He has since become more tyrannical and oppressive due to his paranoia and belief that he is surrounded by enemies, even among the very people he rules over. Childhood Forbes was a very unassuming child, born to a military-oriented family on the former Trekylon colony world of Atlantica. Having no siblings, Forbes had an easy childhood, receiving the best teachers and military trainers his father could afford. He was said to be a person who knew when to walk away from confrontation, when to yield to his opponent, and "when to beat the living hell outta them". He rarely got into any fights, and when he did, he always won. He was seen as charismatic, charming, disarming, and in general easy to get along with. He graduated from Tellico High School, Atlantica colony only 5th from the top of his class. He went on to attend the University of New Baden, where he excelled in Earth History, Military Theory, and Mechanics. He was also a 3-time springball champion (he lost in his senior university year by only one game). He graduated from the University 2nd in his class. Military Career Forbes was only 22 Earth-years old when he enlisted in the Imperial Military of Trekylon. At first, he was kept as part of the Home Guard force, defending the Core Territories of the empire. This was a propitious moment, as Trekylon (under the Holy Trek name and banner) had just declared independence from the Imperial Federation of which it had been a commonwealth. This diplomatic revolution brought the empire new allies and new diplomatic relations among former enemies, and helped to secure it from any possible attempts by the IF to reestablish their authority. Forbes would go on to participate in two wars: the Roman War and the Breen War. Roman War During the Roman War, Forbes was part of the regiment that fought the last battle of the war, on the world of New Athens. He was wounded three times (twice in the arm, once in the leg), yet he managed to seize a battlement from a Roman squad, leading a team of four other men. He received treatment at Camp Barton, where he also received a battlefield promotion to Corporal. He later received the Imperial Star medal for courage under fire. Michael I later promoted him to Colonel. Having experienced ground combat, he chose to switch to the Imperial Starfleet, and he was allowed to keep his new rank. Breen War Colonel Thomas Forbes joined the crew of the Galaxy-class ISS Raphael Semmes not long after leaving the Imperial Military. His tour-of-duty coincided with the start and finish of the Breen War. He saw action as part of a Security detail that was ordered to hold a fortification against Breen privateers. He received another Imperial Star as a result of his actions in that skirmish. Later, he participated in the last battle of that war, in concert with Inuyashia, S.I.M, and others. He received the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Imperial Starfleet. He is one of a handful of officers who served in both the Imperial Starfleet and the Imperial Military. A New Direction Forbes completed his tour in the Imperial Starfleet, choosing not to become a career officer. He married a widow named Nanami Ozuka shortly afterwards, and they both returned to Atlantica. He continued to support the Imperial Mission to assist those nations resisting oppression right up until the Barlat Assault. During the period of the treaty talks, he became a strong opponent of the Treaty of Twist, and the more moderate Treaty of Atlantis. He contemplated returning his medals, but received word of a deal made which granted lease to a piece of Octarius. Michael I (before his forced abdication) nominated Forbes for the post of Royal Governor under the Dual Monarchy banner, and Empress Rebecca I upheld that nomination. The Royal Congress approved, and he and his wife moved to Octarius. Forbes and his wife had a son they named William. Tragically, two years later he died of a rare and fatal blood disease. Nanami committed suicide shortly after the funeral. Forbes was devastated, losing a son and a beloved wife in the same week. It is believed that this compounded his continuing outrage at the acceptance by Trekylon of the terms of the Atlantis Treaty. But on Octarius, removed from the rest of the empire, remained quiet, thus allowing that outrage and frustration to gradually simmer to a mild disgust. He settled into the role of Royal Governor, working closely with the Lady Michelle, Michael I's cousin, in improving law-enforcement, and receiving Otaku immigrants escaping Inuyashia while it had found itself at war. Gradually, the Otaku population grew so rapidly as to make them a large minority (third, behind the Klingons and Kinshaya). The GR Civil War and the Occupation made a profound change on Forbes, as he gradually realized that the Dual Monarchy would not come to assist. His one contribution to the battles above Octarius was in giving the order for the 500-ship Jem'Hadar force to defend the planet at all costs. All 500 Jem'Hadar ships were lost in the failed defense of Octarius. Throughout the Occupation by the GR, Forbes increasingly became paranoid that the Royal Enclave would fall victim to attack, especially given that Forbes had sent the Jem'Hadar ships against them in the Defense of Octarius. He began to recruit the Human and Klingon populace for the purposes of defense during the Occupation, but as the Liberation began, Forbes had little to no role. Throughout all this, he began to suspect the Otakus of plotting against the occupiers. He slowly began to curtail their rights and privileges, using the Occupation as a pretext. He then learned of the defeat of Trekylon and their Exodus from the Milky Way galaxy. The outrage he felt over their submission returned, fueled by the fact he was now cut off from the rest of the Dual Monarchy. Darkness Falls Even as the Octarian Federation formed from a series of battles, Forbes remained aloof from the changes, in constant fear that his enclave would come under attack. He continued to persecute the Otaku population and gradually alienated the Klingons whom he had once depended on. With no further assistance from the Dual Monarchy forthcoming and feeling the pressure of 'enemy forces' closing on him, Forbes did the unthinkable, insulting the Klingons so severely that they renounced their Oath of Support and left Octarius. Outraged by the Klingon withdrawal, Forbes took further steps to solidify his control over the remaining populations and isolate the Otakus. Forbes' knowledge of mechanics enabled him to lay the groundwork for a campaign of tank and droid building, as he could no longer trust the Kinshaya to fight for him. Indeed, few of the Human colonists could be trusted, but Forbes was able to win over a handful of them, and they became his most trusted (and feared) commanders. He used them-and the first group of droids to begin rounding up all Otakus, placing them in internment camps (which in many cases were Otaku cities such as Kamakura). At the same time, in order to head off any potential for a Dual Monarchy intervention (unlikely, due to the Caldwell Treaty), he declared the independence of the former Royal Enclave as the State of Arminia, adopting a Nazi-style government structure and (whether Forbes realized it or not) the same propensity for slaughtering those groups deemed 'inferior'. It is believed he gave the orders for the internment camps to be converted into death-camps, and he is also said to be responsible for removing the last link to the Dual Monarchy by arresting the Lady Michelle on trumped up charges of "colluding with the enemies of the State". Forbes is determined to cleanse the State of the Otaku 'plague' then begin a full-scale military buildup, but beyond these immediate goals, it can only be speculated as to his next move. Category:Breakaway Nations Category:Octarius